NY Times’ Kristof: AIPAC and NRA Are Like Pigs

Nicholas Kristof, a New York Times columnist for more than a dozen years, has made a name for himself as a defender of social justice causes such as poverty, gender injustice and, in particular, the brutal mass murders that have taken place in Sudan.

Kristof is also well known among strong pro-Israel supporters as a Blame Israel Firster, who rarely misses an opportunity to bash Israel for all problems in the Arab-Israeli conflict.

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In June, 2010, Kristof wrote a column in the New York Times, “Saving Israel From Itself.” In 2011 he penned “Is Israel its own Worst Enemy?” In the latter, he claimed that Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu’s “hard lines on settlements” was like a “national suicide policy.” According to Kristof, nothing – not terrorism, not suicide bombing, not the slaughter of Jewish babies in their beds – “is more corrosive than Israel’s growth of settlements because they erode hope of a peace agreement in the future.”

M.J. Rosenberg is a former centrist who, over time, become increasingly obsessive and offensive regarding Israel. At one time Rosenberg worked for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. After his four year stint at AIPAC, Rosenberg bounced around Washington, D.C. working for various Democratic politicians and later worked as the policy director for the leftist think tank the Israel Policy Forum. Eventually, Rosenberg was hired by the radical left Media Matters for America, a George Soros-funded media attack-dog group whose snout is trained firmly on conservative media.

In early 2012, various writers for Media Matters were criticized for using such offensive terms as “Israel Firster” to describe strongly pro-Israel members of Congress. The “Israel Firster” appellation implied that those American politicians care more about Israel than they do about the U.S. Rosenberg was a repeat offender, using the Israel Firster term to attack pro-Israel politicians.

Media Matters came under increasing attack for what some saw as anti-Semitism. In particular, liberal Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz came out after Media Matters and M.J. Rosenberg with guns ablazing. Last spring he warned that Media Matters might cost President Obama this election, and urged the president to distance himself from the group.

“Rosenberg was an extremist,” Dershowitz told The Daily Caller. “He didn’t engage in careful, nuanced critiques of Israel, which is fine. He engaged in hyperbole, name-calling. He just hated, hated, hated, with a passion, almost an eroticized passion of anything associated with Israel. He was like a spurned lover — irrational.”

Many agreed Rosenberg had gone too far and he left Media Matters in April, 2012.

But Rosenberg hasn’t learned his lesson. He is still making remarkably provocative and offensive statements about Israel, and he is still capable of entangling President Obama in his escapades. As first reported in the Washington Free Beacon on Wednesday, January 16, Kristof re-tweeted one of Rosenberg’s more juvenile and offensive – and there is already quite a low bar – tweet messages:

Rosenberg, who nurses a pathological grudge against the Jewish State, refers to AIPAC as being like a pig, and is crowing about what he sees as well-deserved insults by the president to AIPAC as well as to the National Rifle Association.

Most people understand that Rosenberg is unhinged when it comes to Israel and AIPAC. Most people – at least those with a public persona – would steer clear of embracing Rosenberg’s effluvia. But not Nick Kristof. Oh no, Kristof takes Rosenberg’s “Pig Lobbies” tweet and sends it out to his 1,373,272 Twitter followers, thereby dramatically amplifying the audience for the message. Rosenberg has only 14,918 followers.

Unlike most Twitter users, Kristof does not have the phrase, “retweets do not constitute endorsements” on his profile page. Of course, it’s hard to come to anything but the opposite conclusion in this case.

Lori Lowenthal Marcus is a contributor to the JewishPress.com. A graduate of Harvard Law School, she previously practiced First Amendment law and taught in Philadelphia-area graduate and law schools. You can reach her by email: Lori@JewishPressOnline.com

18 COMMENTS

Nicholas Kristoff appeals to those who think that J street is a friend of Israel.

He has written that he supports Hagel because he understands that his recent conversion to "all options are on the table" is not his real view. But rather that he would advise the President to allow a nuclear armed Iran rather than oppose it with a military strike.

The pig remarks are striking as these "friends of Israel" have never expressed that the widely held view among Muslim clerics and politicians such as Morsi and Sheik Tantawi that all Jews are pigs erodes the chances of peace.

These guys are just little passive aggressive jerks who could not express their repressive anger in high school who now hide behind the internet and the humanity of the Jewish community. Someday they will be held accountable and have a consequence for their incitement and Jew hatred.

Dear Kristoff and Rosenberg,
Please tell me when the enemies of Israel will state that Israel has a right to exist? Since this is not happening maybe you can convince them and REAL peace talks can begin. Until that time anything you say is worthless.

Allow me to remind Mr. Kristoff of a Biblical declaration from God when he determines to scheme a verbal/written attack on the land of Israel and its people: "The Lord said to Abram: Go out from your land, your relatives, and your father's house to the land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who treat you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you." ~ Genesis 12:1-3. Yeshua Ha Mashiach!~.

Rather than making ad hominem attacks on Rosenberg, prove what he is saying is not true. But then, given that you discount what Kristof has written, which is little different than what has been said by Netanyahu's critics in the Israeli press, I have no hope that you or Jewish Press readers will open your minds to the reality that most of the world has become increasingly aware of and which has made Israel a blight rather than a light among the nations.

If Rosenberg and Kristof owe any apologies it is to thate wonderful animal, the pig!

Why is Israel the only state that demands its right to exist be recognized? (Answer: Because Kissinger, years ago, recommended that Israel make that demand of the Palestinians.) People have a right to exist; states come and go, and the way Israel is behaving, I recommend taking out life insurance.

Hey, they invented that God. What would you expect him to say?
Leave the Canannites alone? Not for a hot minute. Better stick that popsicle (or whatever is your holding) in your mouth and stop making yourself look silly.

Ms. Marcus article is "NEWS" it is "OLD". She makes valid points. I do not support AIPAC nor "J" Street and I an not a Bennie supporter but that is not my place. I am not living under the threat of Hamas Rockets nor am I under the threat of an Iranian Nuclear Weapon. I support the existence of Israel as a Jewish State. On a Recent NPR broadcast Dani Dayan attack Obama for interfering with Israeli elections by expressing a desire for a more Liberal Government. He neglected to comment on Netanyahu's interference in our presidential election.American Foreign and domestic policy should come from Washington not Tel Aviv and the same should be said for Israel. The long Term existence of Israel is doomed until it can find a safe and sane way to an accommodation with the Palestinians. "J" Street's support of Palestinian action and attacks on Israeli responses does not help.

good illustration of the emotional problems that certain people have with israel. kristof is a classic example of the kind of non-jew who relishes the writings of pathologically self-debasing jews as a cover for his own animus. I guess an independent jewish state is just unbearable to some.

as someone who cloaks himself in self-righteousness in regards to the downtrodden of this world, kristof should be asked why jews who continue to be threatened with annihilation don't deserve his empathy.

I am a major supporter of Israel and the Jews who live there. But the damage the Jews of the United States and Europe do to both cultures and politically is beyond reproach. My wife is a Jew, we all love Israel, but their would be no commie left in this country if it wasn't for Jews. Every rock when over turned, a Jew, one, after another, after another. It's as if the Jewish people have a suicide lust, because they support every leftist cause that pushes them closer to the possibility of another holocaust being possible. I do not judge any group as a whole. The American way is about the INDIVIDUAL and their actions. But let's call a spade a spade, we wouldn't have this jack off President if it wasn't for Jews, and he'd just as soon see you all dead.

"goyim" huh? While I despise Kristof, as a "goyim" let me remind you that a lot of us are lending much needed support to the Holy land right now. I am deeply sorry and embarrassed by my own country lately, so I'm not taking that word at the level of insult it is, but please remind yourself, Jews and Christians are not enemies we are on the same side.

First, as an Air Force veteran, let me thank you for your service to our country. Second, don't be embarrassed by our country but only by the actions of some of our so-called 'countrymen' who are continued embarrassments to us all. Thirdly, Kristof claims not be a Jew; well, thank G-d for small favors. And, lastly, thanks to all that do support Israel to be a free country.